Bay State actress stars in 'Waitress' musical at Hanover

Saturday

May 18, 2019 at 6:00 PM

WORCESTER — The musical "Waitress" has been serving up plenty of good feelings since it premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge in 2015.

The show moved to Broadway in 2016 where it is still playing, and a national tour began in 2017. "Waitress" comes to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts for eight performances May 22-26 (it will be at the Providence Performing Arts Center May 28-June 2). The show is part of The Hanover Theatre's 10th Anniversary Broadway Series.

For Christine Dwyer, who plays the lead character of Jenna in the national tour, "the moral of the show is it's never too late to change your life. It's really such a positive message, and a lovely way to convey that message in a musical."

Jenna is a waitress and expert pie maker who feels trapped in a bad marriage to an abusive husband and discovers that she's pregnant. She sells pies at Joe’s Pie Diner, where she’s also a waitress, along with Becky and Dawn, her best friends and closest confidantes.

Jenna may feel closed in, but as Dwyer intimated, there may be a way out. There's a pie-baking contest going on, for one thing, and a possible new relationship.

"Waitress" is based on the 2007 movie of the same name that was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered the year before the movie's release. The musical has music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, a book by Jessie Nelson and original direction by Diane Paulus.

Dwyer has been playing Jenna since September. "It's great. This is my favorite show I've ever been part of," Dwyer said during a recent telephone interview when "Waitress" was playing in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

With that, "Jenna's a complicated character," she said. "But I think we are (all) more complicated than we are letting on. Once I get on stage, which is right away, you really do follow her story."

Jenna has become "the master of putting things aside and not talking about her feelings," Dwyer said. She helps other people, but her "only solace is baking pies. We see how that kind of helps her."

The challenge of playing the role "is being vulnerable with yourself. Allowing yourself to go there while still singing 17 songs. Getting myself to be able to do that without breaking down," Dwyer said.

On the technical side of matters, Jenna does some actual baking prep on stage. "I mix a lot of ingredients. Roll out dough. The dough gets all over your hands," Dwyer said. She wears an apron for a good portion of the show that hides wipes that Dwyer can discretely use to get the dough off her hands.

For the Broadway show, baking consultants were brought in to establish guidelines because the producers wanted everything to look real on stage.

Dwyer doesn't have to work on how it really is to be a waitress, since she's been one herself.

Originally from Lynnfield, north of Boston, she's enjoyed success since graduating from the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut, with a BFA in musical theater. Among her credits, she played Sylvia in the national tour of "Finding Neverland," Elphaba in the Broadway production and national tour of "Wicked" and Maureen in the national tour of "Rent." She was seen on NBC’s "Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert."

On the other hand, "it's a hard business. There have been a lot of little droughts where I've been waiting on tables. You have to remember why you got into it," she said.

Dwyer is straightforward about it. "I've been lucky, I've worked hard, and I've struggled — and that's what actors do."

When Dwyer was growing up in Lynnfield, her mother would take her to see productions at the North Shore Musical Theatre in Beverly. However, "I wasn't 12 years old (saying) 'I'm gonna be on Broadway,' " she said.

"I don't think I really realized this is what I really wanted to do until it came time to look into colleges. I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to study."

Now Dwyer knows she made the right choice.

"Just being out in the world after school, being able to audition in New York City, meet creative people — it's constant affirmation that I'm where I need to be," she said.

"I've been very lucky to work on some amazing shows, but I know it's very fleeting and you have to work hard to stay above water to do all that."

Dwyer also came to Worcester quite often for shows at the DCU Center when she was a little younger, but "Waitress" will be the first time she's performed here, she said.

The national tour of "Waitress" has touring dates into August. When "Waitress" does get its last orders, "I'll go out and audition again," Dwyer said matter-of-factly.

But there's another pending feel-good happening that has her definite attention.

"I'm getting married in August. That's why I'm not super concerned because I have a whole other production I have to figure out while I'm on the road," Dwyer said.

Meanwhile, some interesting items to the menu have been added ahead of "Waitress" coming to The Hanover Theatre.

After auditions were announced for the role of Lulu, Jenna's daughter, while the show is in Worcester, 30 girls tried out for the part on April 19.

Everleigh Clark, 4, of West Boylston, and Charlie Currier-Brown, also 4, of Watertown, were chosen to alternate as Lulu.

"I like shows, and I can't wait to have a bunch of people in the audience watching me!" Everleigh said in the casting announcement. "I'm happy to be Lulu because it's my first time on stage," said Charlie.

The Hanover Theatre has also hosted a pie recipe competition where people could send in their favorite recipes. The winner's recipe will be featured as an insert in the official "Waitress" cookbook, sold every night at the theater. The winner will also be featured in The Hanover Theatre and "Waitress" social media channels.

Contact Richard Duckett at richard.duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett